Here are 9 foods that may cause heartburn.
1. High fat foods
High fat foods may cause heartburn, especially greasy foods like fries and pizza (3Trusted Source).
Researchers are still learning about the ways in which fat may cause GERD symptoms, but high fat foods may make heartburn worse by stimulating your body to release substances that lead your esophagus to become irritated (4Trusted Source).
These include bile salts, which are present in the stomach, and the hormone cholecystokinin (CCK) in your bloodstream, which may relax the LES and lead to acid reflux (4Trusted Source).
One study in people with GERD found that more than half of the 85 people who reported food triggers also reported that high fat fried foods caused their GERD symptoms like heartburn.
Plus, the study reported that after participants removed triggering foods for 2 weeks, the percentage that reported heartburn ped from 93% to 44% (5Trusted Source).
It’s important to note that researchers are still trying to find out which types of fat may aggravate GERD symptoms, but fried and greasy foods seem to have the strongest effects.
2. Mint
Species of mint like peppermint and spearmint are often thought to soothe digestive conditions. However, there is some evidence that these types of mint may cause heartburn.
Studies suggest that peppermint decreases LES pressure and may cause heartburn (6Trusted Source).
Although mint could trigger GERD symptoms, it only seems to be an issue for a small proportion of people with GERD (4Trusted Source).
If you experience heartburn after consuming mint products, you may want to eliminate them from your diet to see whether it helps you manage your heartburn.
3. Citrus juices
Drinking citrus juices may trigger heartburn symptoms.
People commonly report that orange and grapefruit juices cause GERD symptoms like heartburn (7Trusted Source).
However, it’s not entirely clear how citrus juices cause heartburn (7Trusted Source, 8Trusted Source).
Nonetheless, many people with GERD avoid them in an effort to reduce heartburn symptoms.
4. Chocolate
Chocolate is another common trigger for heartburn.
Ingredients in chocolate like cacao and caffeine can relax the LES and increase esophageal exposure to acid (4Trusted Source, 9Trusted Source).
Many people report heartburn symptoms after consuming chocolate, and studies have shown that chocolate can reduce LES pressure. However, it’s unclear whether eliminating chocolate from the diet improves heartburn symptoms (4Trusted Source).
If you find that eating chocolate gives you heartburn or worsens heartburn symptoms, try cutting it out of your diet.
5. Spicy foods
Spicy foods are notorious for causing heartburn. Yet, exactly how they contribute to heartburn is unclear (9Trusted Source).
However, one study including people with GERD found that chili capsules increased gastric accommodation, which is when the upper part of the stomach relaxes in response to eating a meal.
Research has found that people with GERD tend to have an enhanced gastric accommodation reflex. This is associated with an increased relaxation of the LES, which may cause heartburn (10Trusted Source).
The same study found that the chili capsules were associated with more severe sensations of burning in the belly and more severe heartburn in the participants with GERD, compared with a placebo treatment (10Trusted Source).
Another study including 4,633 Iranian adults found that high consumption of spicy foods was associated with a greater risk of heartburn in men, but not in women (11Trusted Source).
In addition, spicy foods may irritate an already inflamed esophagus, and this may worsen heartburn symptoms.
If you think spicy foods may be causing your heartburn, consider eliminating them from your diet.
6. Onions
Onions, especially raw onions, are a common trigger for heartburn.
Like other foods on this list, onions cause heartburn symptoms in many people with GERD. However, it’s unclear how onions cause heartburn or make it worse (12Trusted Source).
In one study from the 1990s, people with heartburn ate a plain hamburger on one day, followed by an identical hamburger with onions on another day. Eating the onion burger significantly worsened heartburn symptoms, compared with eating the no-onion burger (13Trusted Source).
However, future studies are needed to determine whether all people with heartburn should consider eliminating or reducing their intake of onions.
In addition, onions are a rich source of FODMAPs (fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols), a class of small nondigestible carbs that cause digestive issues in some people. These may cause heartburn in people who are sensitive to FODMAPs (14Trusted Source).
7. Alcohol
Moderate to excessive alcohol intake may worsen GERD symptoms, including heartburn.
That’s because alcohol relaxes the LES, which may allow stomach acid to escape into the esophagus and trigger heartburn (4Trusted Source).
Furthermore, studies show that alcohol consumption is a risk factor for GERD.
One review of 29 studies found that people who drank alcohol more than 5 times or days per week were more than twice as likely to have GERD than people who didn’t drink or rarely drank alcohol (15Trusted Source).
8. Coffee and caffeinated beverages
Some people may experience heartburn when drinking coffee and other caffeinated beverages.
This is because caffeine has been shown to relax the lower esophageal sphincter, which can increase the risk of acid reflux and heartburn (16Trusted Source).
Plus, coffee may stimulate gastric acid secretion, which may exacerbate heartburn (17Trusted Source).
Even though coffee may cause heartburn in some people, not all studies have observed a link between coffee and acid reflux symptoms.
One study that included 1,837 people, 25% of whom had GERD, did not find a significant link between coffee consumption and GERD symptoms (18Trusted Source).
Though the research remains inconclusive, if you tolerate coffee, there’s no need to avoid it. On the other hand, if coffee gives you reflux and heartburn, it’s best to avoid it or limit your intake.
9. Sodas and carbonated beverages
Many people find they get heartburn after drinking sodas and carbonated beverages.
Research suggests that these drinks may relax the esophageal sphincter and increase the acidity of stomach acid — two risk factors for heartburn (4Trusted Source, 19Trusted Source).
In fact, soft drink consumption is considered a major contributor to heartburn that occurs at night, which is known as nocturnal heartburn (20Trusted Source).
Some studies have found a link between drinking soft drinks and worsened symptoms in people with GERD.
For example, an older study found that people who consumed carbonated beverages had a 69% higher risk of developing reflux symptoms like heartburn (21Trusted Source).
If you experience heartburn after drinking soda or other carbonated beverages, it’s best to limit your intake or cut out carbonated drinks completely.
Other ways to relieve heartburn
In addition to removing foods from your diet that may cause heartburn, there are other ways to tame heartburn.
Maintain a healthy body weight. Obesity is associated with GERD. Losing weight and maintaining a healthy body weight may decrease GERD symptoms like heartburn (22Trusted Source).
Try a lower carb diet. Some studies show that following a lower carb diet may help reduce symptoms of GERD. Simply reducing your intake of refined carbs and added sugars may help as well (4Trusted Source, 23Trusted Source).
Avoid lying down after meals. Healthcare professionals often recommend that those with GERD eat at least 3 hours before bedtime. Lying down soon after eating may worsen GERD symptoms like heartburn (24Trusted Source).
Follow a Mediterranean-style diet. A Mediterranean diet, which is rich in fibrous foods like beans and vegetables, as well as healthy fats like olive oil and fish, may help manage GERD symptoms (25Trusted Source, 28Trusted Source).
Increase physical activity. One review found that exercising for 30 minutes 3 times a week was associated with a reduced risk of GERD (27Trusted Source).
Elevate your head in bed. Elevating your upper body while you’re in bed may help reduce symptoms of GERD and improve your sleep patterns (4Trusted Source).
